Piano bench



May 17, 1949. v. D. BELFIELD Erm. 2,470,330

4 PIANO BENCH F'liled March 7, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventors WWW May 17, 1949. v. D. BELFIELD mL 2,470,330

PIANO -BENCH Filed March 7, 1946 2 lSheets-Sheet 2 ETI-.- E

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j Il. I "I l] 26 7 :El E- E /5 /3 /l/Z la /////////////////I/f/////////f// I )l1/enters WWW Patented May 17, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to piano benches of the type providing for storage of sheet music therein beneath the bench top.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a bench of the above kind in which the sheet music may be led away in an orderly manner and so that the performer may have ready access to the sheet music while remaining seated on the bench.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bench of the above character in which the sheet music is so led as to facilitate ready access to and selection of the desired piece of music.

Still another object is to provide a bench of the above kind which is comparatively simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and extremely convenient and easy to use.

The invention consists in a novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a rear elevational view of a piano bench constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is an end elevational view thereof.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the same.

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse section taken on line 4--4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view, greatly enlarged, and more clearly illustrating a detail of the construction as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is an enlarged longitudinal section taken on line 6-6 of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary section of the construction as shown in Figure 6, with the lid section of the bench opened.

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 6, showing a modification.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the present piano bench embodies a frame which includes four corner supporting legs 5 and relatively long similar front and rear rails E and similar shorter end rails 1 which rigidly connect the upper ends of the legs 5. The rails 6 and 1 are of flat form and vertically disposed edgewise so that their upper edges are flush with the upper ends of the legs 5. Also, the ends of the rails 6 and 1 are preferably joined to the legs by mortise and tenon `ioints as generally indicated by dotted lines at 8. The legs 5 at each end of the bench are rigidly connected near their lower ends by transverse brace bars 9, and thesey brace bars 9 are rigidly connected intermediate their ends by a longitudinal brace bar I0.

A horizontal sheet music rack is mounted within the frame and comprises a casing II which is open at one end, and horizontal partitions IZ dividing the casing into superposed compartments I'3 for reception of the sheet music. The partitions I2 gradually recede relative to each other at the open end of the rack in an upward direction, so that when the sheets of music are placed in the rack, an end of each sheet of music will project beyond the adjacent end of the sheet of music in the next higher compartment for revealing the title thereon and thereby facilitating ready access to and selection of any desired sheet of music. This relative disposition of the sheets of music in the rack is insured by providing the compartments of similar depth through the use of an inclined wall I4 at the closed end of the rack.

A iiat bench top is provided on the frame including a iixed section l5 at one of the frame forming a seat section, and a vertically swinging section I6 at the other end of the frame forming a lid section adapted to be opened to permit access to the sheet music filed in the rack. The lid section I 6 is preferably hinged at its outer end to the adjacent end rail 1 as at I1, suitable means being provided at the inner ends of the top sections I5 and I6 to latch the latter section in closed position, as at I8.

In the embodiment of Figures 1 to 7 inclusive, the front and rear rails E have longitudinal grooves in the inner faces thereof as at I9, said grooves extending from a point beyond the inner end of the seat section l5 through the ends of the rails B remote to the lid section I6. These grooves I9 are horizontal and horizontally aligned and form runways for ball bearing rollers 2!! mounted on opposite sides of the rack casing I 3 adjacent the front and rear ends of the rack. As shown more clearly in Figure 5. a bar 2 l' may be secured to each side of the rack casing I I and provided with openings to receive headed pins 22 on which the rollers 261 are journaled. The rack is preferably assembled to the rails 6 prior to assembly of the frame by connection of the rails 6 and 1 to the legs 5. It will thus be seen that the rack is mounted for horizontal movement longitudinally of the bench from a nosition completely beneath the fixed top section I 5 as shown in Figure 6 to a position partially projecting beyond the inner end of said section I5 as shown in Figure '7, or vice Versa. When the rack is in the position of Figure '7, it is located so and a flat bench top on the frame including a fixed section secured on one end of the frame and REFERENCES CITED forming a seat section, and a vertically swinging The following references are of record 1n the section at the other end of the frame forming a file of this patent: lid section adapted to be opened to permit access to sheet music filed in the rack, the rack being s UNITED STATES PATENTS permanently located directly beneath the bench Number Name Date top so that its open end projects adjacent but 324,361 Martindale Aug. 25, 1835 just beyond the inner end of the seat section and 1,275,671 Gardner A113` 13, 1918 is revealed when the lid section is opened. 1 1,577,091 Ahlstedt Mal- 16. 1926 VIRGIL n BELFIELD 2,152,378 Gelbaugh Mar. 28, 1939 ELSIE BELFIELD 2,268,917 Abelmann Jan. 6, 1942 

